Lovers of all things elegant and dreamy, it was a simple decision for Elaine and Aaron to have a romantic winter wedding. Embracing the cold dark nights Elaine and Aaron planned a winter wedding filled with candle light, sparkle and shimmering black bridesmaid dresses at the magical Dromoland Castle. Friends and family travelled home to be with them adding more magic to the wedding, which was captured by friend and talented photographer David Olsthoorn.
Elaine and Aaron met at school, but it wasn't quite a teenage romance. Elaine explains..."I had been living and working in Dubai for two years and moved home in September 2011. I was only home a few weeks and got an interview for a school in Limerick that I had always wanted to work in…and it just so happens that Aaron was interviewing for the same job that same day. When I arrived early to my interview there was another person waiting too, and it was Aaron. We got chatting, then he went in for his interview, and came out awhile later grinning and wished me luck, which I thought was quite confident of him."
Elaine continues..."I ended up getting the job, but then a few weeks later he started at the same school! We were friends for the first year working together and then the following winter he began asking me out on the strangest dates, like “Do you want to go to a Bikram yoga class?” I would just say no. Then finally he got me onto his home turf, Clare soil, down to the beach in Lahinch, on the most beautiful winter’s day, and we finally got together. A few months later I found out that our first date was actually a massive sacrifice for him as, “The surf had been pumping”! I had been wondering why everywhere we went that day people kept asking him why he wasn’t in the water, or if he was getting in later! I had been totally oblivious! But it did show me how much I meant to him, and that proved to me he was a keeper! A year later we were engaged and moving in together! We guess it’s pretty true, that when you know, you know!"
Aaron describes how he proposed..."It was mid-November 2013 and I had a plan in place to pick up Elaine and whisk her off to Lahinch for a romantic stroll on the beach, one of our favourite places, and where I had always pictured proposing to her. So I met up with her dad and mom early in the week to have a chat and ask for her dad’s permission to propose...to which he responded, “Are you sure? You know she’s a handful!” Ireland were playing Australia in the Autumn Internationals that Saturday and early that morning, knowing I was planning to propose to his daughter later that day, her Dad had popped up to her room to deliver her breakfast in bed before her parents hit the road for the Aviva. Her mom followed suit with a quick hug and a kiss, saying “Have a wonderful day”. Elaine was more than a little surprised by their almost emotional goodbye. I think if we had ended up going for that stroll on the beach that day she would have been onto my plan straight away, so in a way it worked out well that my plans were ruined as I drove to collect Elaine..."
Aaron continues: "...A storm had picked up and she was not too enthusiastic about heading down the coast anymore...So I suggested a walk in Killaloe instead and luckily she agreed. Once I was by the water and on Clare soil I was happy and relaxed a bit. I had an empty bottle of her favourite wine filled with Rose petals and I had rolled up a letter that I put in too. I had planned for her to “find” this washed up on the beach while we were walking along the sand. Instead, when we were down by the boats and walking along the jetty in Killaloe, I dropped the bottle out of my jacket into the water and drew Elaine's attention to it. She scooped it out of the water with her umbrella and as she opened it and read the note, I dropped to one knee and produced the ring. To say she was surprised was a massive understatement! Funnily enough, there was a man walking his dog nearby who saw the whole thing and offered to take a photo for us and was our first congratulator. It was perfect. We topped it off with Guinness and mussels by the fire in Goosers pub nearby."
That dress!
Having had their first date in winter, and getting engaged in winter Elaine and Aaron decided to continue with tradition and have a romantic winter wedding in the equally romantic Dromoland Castle. As Elaine admits, "I love everything about winter, I think it’s just so romantic, the fires, the walks in the cold all wrapped up, the mulled wine!"
The classic church ceremony was kept elegant and intimate with, dim candle light, simple pew ends and winter themed ceremony music performed by friends.
Following the ceremony Elaine and Aaron welcomed guests at Dromoland Castle with champagne and a selection of wedding cake baked by both their mums.
Elaine explains what made Dromoland Castle the perfect winter wedding venue for them..."We had visited a few venues and we were hoping to get the right ‘feeling’ about a place. The day we visited Dromoland it was a cold, crisp winter day and we knew straight away driving up the road leading to the castle that this was “the one”, plus it was a bonus for Aaron that it was in Clare! We knew it was perfect, with all the roaring fires, Christmas trees, fairy lights, mulled wine and beautiful scenery for winter photographs. The staff in Dromoland we met that first day really helped make up our minds too, they were friendly, helpful and made us feel so relaxed."
To compliment their winter castle wedding Elaine and Aaron chose a rich palette of black, white and touches of gold. Elaine describes..."The wedding party wore all black and white, with Aarons’ dickie bow being black and white, the ribbons on the bouquets black and white, and the flowers and acorns were tied to the pews in the church with black and white ribbons. I let my three bridesmaids, my sisters, all pick their own dress, I gave them free-reign to pick as long as it was black, I trusted them all! And they all looked stunning on the day."
Aaron and Elaine also went to an effort to keep things personal and super relaxed, enlisting help from friends and family where possible - including both their photographer, Aaron's friend David of David Olsthoorn Photography and videographer, Aaron's brother Gavin from Dreamcatcher Productions.
To complete their magical winter wedding Elaine and Aaron honeymooned at Secrets Resort in the Dominican Republic enjoying 10 days of blissful winter sun.
Huge congratulations to you both, and thanks so much for sharing your Dromoland Castle winter wedding with us all. A big thank you also goes to David Olsthoorn Photography for sharing his work with us. To see more from David Olsthoorn Photography visit www.davidolsthoorn.net
Recommended Suppliers
Photographer: David Olsthoorn Photography
Venue: Dromoland Castle
Videographer: Dreamcatcher Productions
Stationery: Appleberry Press
The Wedding Details:
- Ceremony: St. Mary Magdalene Church, Monaleen
- Wedding Dress: Aibheil of Adare
- Bridesmaids dresses: The Ivory Closet
- Shoes & Bag: Carvela
- Flowers: Mary Lillis
- Groom’s suit: DKNY
- Groomsmen: Patrick Bourke Menswear
- Hair Piece: Twigs and Honey from BHLDN
- Cashmere & Fur Wrap: Hayley Menzies London
- Bow Tie & Pocket Square: Mrs. Bowtie
- Car: 1960 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud from Michael O’Flaherty at Bentley Wedding Hire
- Makeup: Jess from Catherine Hickey Makeup
- Hair: Michelle from Amber Cool
- Wedding Rings: Enchanted Diamonds, E – Jewels & Gleeson’s Goldsmiths
- Wedding Band: The Bentley Boys
